


Christmas Break Diem

by ZodiacBiologist



Series: Campus Diem [4]
Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe- David Adopts Max, Christmas, F/M, Family Fluff, Future Fic, Gen, Gwom - Freeform, dadvid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-07
Updated: 2017-12-07
Packaged: 2019-02-11 16:23:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12939102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZodiacBiologist/pseuds/ZodiacBiologist
Summary: While home for Christmas Break, Max wants nothing more than to take a nap. However, his plans are thwarted when he recieves three visits. Just a fluffy, family fic for you all this Christmas.





	Christmas Break Diem

If he had left his bedroom window open, Max would have crawled through it to let himself into the house. Now that finals week had come and gone, there was nothing more that the young man wanted to do then take the longest nap he ever had in his life. 

But, when you’ve avoided home for almost four months, there wasn’t a whole lot of getting out of the mini family reunion that always happened in the living room. 

So, take a final breath before he was bombarded with hugs, Max reached for the doorknob. It flew open before his fingertips even had a chance to brush the metal, arms quickly tangling around his body. 

Gwen had been the one to reach him first, squeezing him so hard, he felt body would snap.

“Mom! Let go! Fuck!” Max struggled to free his arms, at least trying to make the hug more comfortable; he didn’t mind it as much as it seemed he did. 

“Now, Gwen, let him put his bags down.” David pushed his glasses up onto his forehead, rubbing at his eye. Of course he would cry at this…

“Dad, seriously?” Max finally managed to rid himself of his mother, stepping cautiously toward the older man. He raised his hand for a simple handshake, hoping the gesture would be taken as such; David accepted, though he did squeeze Max’s hand a bit,

“I’m sorry, you know how I get during family time.”  
Of course, Max knew this well. Heh, family time; the phrase still made him feel awkward. He’d be lying if he said he never questioned rather or not his parents married out of love or just for his sake and rather or not he should be intruding on their holidays with their daughter-

-No. No. He wasn’t intruding. This was his house. His family. 

However, the holidays never failed to bring that ugly though back into the man’s head. Every year, without fail, the bitterness would sink in; it only got worse once Max left home, as he knew their lives would continue on as usual without him.

“Max?” David spoke, resting a hand on Max’s shoulder. He didn’t have to reach down anymore to do it, a fact that made him just a bit sad. 

“Huh?” Max suddenly realized he had been standing, silent, for God knows how long (long enough to have David looking concerned).

“I asked if you wanted to come with to pick up Terra. She’s real excited that you’re home for the holidays...and I’m sure seeing you will make her da-”

“I-No. I’m really tired...I’m gonna go take a nap…” Max rubbed the back of his neck, looking down at his bags on the floor. 

“Oh! Okay, then. We won’t tell her you’re here yet...so, you can sleep,” David said, before sweeping Max into a hug that almost rivaled Gwen’s, “Glad to have you back, buddy.”

He would later blame it on the fatigue, but Max sank into the hug, letting himself relax, “Glad to be home…”  
____________________________________

He hadn’t intended to avoid home nearly as much as he did, but then again, he also didn’t intend to be confessing his love to Nikki in her hospital room, literally the day after his first trip home in almost a month. He couldn’t quite place why, but after that day, home just wasn’t a place he wanted to be in. His presence and the presence of those he chose to invite over that evening almost seemed to taint the house in a way; the booze, poor choices, sex, none of which should have been involved with the house they had spent their childhood summers in. 

Even the bed Max climbed into felt dirtied beyond saving. Regardless, the moment his head hit the pillow, Max was out like a light.  
____________________________________

It’s only five when David chooses to creep into Max’s room. Two hours was a long enough nap in his book, anyway. He just couldn’t help himself, really; he missed his boy terribly, even if it had only been four months.  
Max would be cranky when he woke up, David knew that much well, though, it didn’t stop him from sitting down on the bed, moving to pull the younger man into his arms. Max’s eyes snapped open, a confused grogginess evident in the way his head swung from its spot. David had to hold back a laugh as he tucked Max’s head against his chest. Max’s eyes closed once more, accepting his new position and returning to his nap once more. 

“Remember-,” Max cracked an eye open at the voice, “Our first Christmas as a family…”

David carded his fingers through Max’s hair, “We couldn’t pay the bills...and they turned the heat off…so, we sat in the car with the heat on, singing along with all the Christmas songs on the radio…” David’s voice dropped to a whisper. He told himself he wouldn’t cry, but that story never failed to make him teary eyed.

“Dad, come on…” Max groaned, willing himself to look at David, “That was a long time ago…”

“I wanted you to have a good Christmas that year...and I didn’t know what to do…” David tightened his hold, resting his head atop of Max’s, “And I’m sorry if it wasn’t the best…”

“Dad...that was the best, fucking Christmas ever...I got you and mom that year, didn’t I?” 

David didn’t answer, instead, he began to rock the boy slightly. Max sighed. Only one way to fix this one…

“I love you, dad,” Max mumbled, weaving his arms around David in an attempt at a hug. David wiped his eyes,

“I love you, too, son…”

With a final hug, David lowered Max back into bed, tucked him in as nicely as he could, then left the room, leaving Max to his nap.  
____________________________________

It’s two hours after the awkward encounter when Gwen decided to enter Max’s room. The boy is awake, doing something on his phone when the door creaked open.

“Hey…” Gwen said, “Can I come in?”

Max nods, shifting to make a spot on the bed for her. Gwen settled in beside Max, peering over his shoulder to look at his phone

“It’s Nikki, something about Hanukkah. Her physical therapist got her a dreidel or something.” Gwen didn’t even have to ask for context. Max turned his head, using her arm as his new pillow, “Dad came in here earlier. He was all emotional, again.”

“Eh, don’t worry about him. He just missed you.” Gwen said, throwing an arm around Max’s shoulder, “Mama missed you most, though.”

Max scoffed, “Bullshit! You’ve been loving not having me here, haven’t you!?”

Gwen laughed hard, pulling Max closer to her, “I take that back, ya piece of shit!”

Now it was Max’s turn to erupt into a fit of laughter, burying his face into his mother’s shoulder. Gwen heaved, trying to regain her composure, “Oh, I so did not miss you. When does the semester start up?”

“So quick to get rid of me.” The boy slapped a hand over his chest, pretending to be shocked.

Gwen rolled her eyes,“Alright, ya little shit,” she scooped Max into her arms, hugging him even tighter than she had earlier, “I’m going to love you so much this Christmas, you’ll run back to school!”

“Ha! Too bad! Maybe I’ll even take the semester off so you can love me longer!” Max retorted.

“Maybe even take the year off, so I can love you even longer!”

“Maybe I’ll never go back to school, so you can love me forever!”  
____________________________________

It wasn’t long before the shouting had attracted not just David, but Terra, as well. Nothing could stop the little girl from affixing herself to her brother’s side, eagerly yammering about her adventures in kindergarten. Max almost cared enough to pay full attention to her stories. However, certain stories were particularly lengthy; long enough that David and Gwen had retired to bed long before she finished. In the late house of the night, all that was left was Max and Terra. The only light that remained on was Max’s desk lamp. 

“Maxaroni?” Terra final said, situating herself atop her brother’s chest. Max folded his hands over her back,

“Yes, Cheese?”

“What do ya think Santa will bring you?”

The question caught Max off guard. How the hell should he know? He didn’t ask for anything this year. Not like Santa was really, or anything…

“I don’t know. Why?”

“I hope he brings you a new hoodie, so I can wear your old one. And I want him to bring Neil’s baby, and a more cups for Nerry, and I want him to make Harrison feel better so he can do more magic tricks, and new paint brushes for Dolph, an-” Max had zoned out once more, knowing that if Terra’s list was anything like last years, he would be in for a long night,

“-And I hope Santa brings Nikki new legs, so she can dance with you when you get married.” Terra yawned loudly, reaching to pull the blankets over her shoulder. Max stared at the ceiling, stunned.

“Y-you...I, uh, I hope Santa brings that too…” Max feels a tear prick the corner of his eye. Sometimes, the little girl on his chest amazed him beyond words. A sort of pride to be the big brother of such a girl bubbled up in Max's chest and, for once, he let himself feel it. Terra didn’t seem to notice, resuming her list from where she left off.

Max closed his eyes, listening to her rambles. If this was to be what Christmas break consisted of, then he had absolutely no problem with that.

**Author's Note:**

> Did anyone notice a theme? An angry guy? A visit from his past, the present, and his future? Mmmmmmmmmhmmmmmmmm. Next up will either be Nikki and Neil's Christmas/Hannukah, or Nerris' and Harrison's holidays.


End file.
